capacitor

noun

ca·​pac·​i·​tor kə-ˈpa-sə-tər 

: a device that is used to store electrical energy

Examples of capacitor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In tests, the device stored more than seven times the charge of other capacitors. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026

In its skull is a squarish motherboard, roughly the size of a slice of bread and studded with white capacitors that look like teeth. — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Sanhuan Group , also traded in Shenzhen, is a manufacturer of multilayer ceramic capacitors, or MLCC , used to store and release energy in chips. — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 28 June 2026

That extra coverage window matters most for repairs prone to recurring issues, such as compressor or capacitor replacements. — Sharon Wu, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

capacitor

noun

ca·​pac·​i·​tor kə-ˈpas-ət-ər 

: a device for storing electric charge

called also condenser

Medical Definition

capacitor

noun

ca·​pac·​i·​tor kə-ˈpas-ət-ər 

: a device giving capacitance and usually consisting of conducting plates or foils separated by thin layers of dielectric (as air or mica) with the plates on opposite sides of the dielectric layers oppositely charged by a source of voltage and the electrical energy of the charged system stored in the polarized dielectric